A mysterious decimation of bee populations has German beekeepers worried, while a similar phenomenon in the United States is gradually assuming catastrophic proportions. The consequences for agriculture and the economy could be enormous.

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Hives Holding a Secret

Colorado beekeepers stung by mysteriously vanishing colonies.

Like other Colorado beekeepers, Jeff Theobald knows that between 2 percent and 10 percent of his bees typically won't survive winter, but this year, the loss rate is 40 percent and rising as entire colonies vanish without a trace.

"It's just bizarre," said Theobald, who runs Grand Mesa Honey Farm in Delta. "I've had hives that had dead bees in them - 4,000 to 5,000 dead bees - and hives that were completely empty. The bees were just gone."

Regional disasters have afflicted beekeepers in the past, but baffled entomologists and agricultural experts call this the first national crisis, with potentially grave consequences. Approximately $14.6 billion worth of U.S. nut, fruit and vegetable crops depend on bee pollination.

Throughout the U.S., honeybee colonies, including approximately 30,000 colonies in Colorado, are affected by what researchers are calling colony collapse disorder. To date, the disorder has been identified in 24 states.

In the name of profit, we have managed to foul our air, water, and land. We have threatened our food supply. And yet we go merrily along, not realizing what we are doing to future generations.

Built around the state insect of New Jersey, the honeybee industry is a $2.5 million business and provides pollination for 80 percent of the state's crops worth some $200 million, according to the state department of agriculture. Even so, there is currently no state apiarist, or beekeeper, (the previous one retired and no replacement has been named) and no state university or government bee researcher.

"In the Garden State no one is doing research on the honeybee?" said Janet Katz, who owns Two Cats Apiaries in Chester. "It's mind-boggling. They research everything else in agriculture, but not bees. We're desperate."

Beatrice Tassot is even more blunt: "People are panicking."

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EVIDENCE that genetically modified (GM) crops can contaminate food supplies for miles around has been revealed in independent tests commissioned by The Sunday Times.

The tests found alien GM material in honey from beehives two miles from a site where GM crops were being grown under government supervision. It is believed to have been carried there by bees gathering pollen in the GM test sites.

The disclosure, showing that GM organisms can enter the food chain without consumers — or even farmers — knowing they are present, will undermine assurances by Tony Blair and ministers that such crops can be tested in Britain without contaminating the food chain.

This is why the bee hives are dying throughout every region in the world where GM crops are being grown. Genetically modified contamination = dead bee hives

Chillingly, our foods don't have to be labeled as GM. We are eating GM foods all the time. Two of the most modified foods were soy and corn--don't know if that is true now or not.

When you bite into a strawberry that is pretty as a picture and tastes like a picture too, you know it is GM. When you slice a tomatoe and it slices like a wooden ball, you know it is GM.

Modifying foods has everything to do with profit and nothing to do with welfare or taste for persons eating that food. And it scares the bejabbers out of me that it is killing off our little buddies, the bees. Most likely other 'friendly' bugs and insects too.

How long before it effects people? Is that happening already?

Catherine, I know what you mean about it being nice to see a bee now. Amazing how important they have become...

You are what you eat and lefty hit it perfectly. Most people don't mind being cheap and pretty. Works for GM foods- works for GM people.

Didn't someone post that GM genes are appearing in bee honey? The spread will destroy our traditional foods- and it's all over control of the seed supply and who gets to profit from that control. Greed will destroy us all, even though all we want is to be cheap and pretty.Boy do THEY buy that one!

Vain fools that we are. Capitalism- what a joke. I'm afraid this jokes on us all now.

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